


The Monster, The Soldier, and The Promise

by RPGroyal888



Category: Final Fantasy VI
Genre: Angst, Bullying, Child Abuse, Childhood Trauma, Choking, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, My First Fanfic, Tags May Change, ratings will change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 12:15:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29759478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RPGroyal888/pseuds/RPGroyal888
Summary: As Terra starts to remember Celes, memories of her childhood bully begin to drown out the woman that she sees in front of her. A retelling/AU where Celes and Terra interacted/knew each other prior to their first meeting.
Relationships: Tina Branford | Terra Branford/Celes Chere
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	1. Prologue

“Hey, talk to me, what’s going on Terra?” asked Celes. She sheathed her runic blade as Terra rubbed her arms nervously, Celes knew something was off. Though Terra was normally quiet and introverted, this was different. Terra usually never looked away from Celes when they talked. She would always want to talk to Celes about some new cooking recipe she saw in the library or maybe even a new spell she learned that day. She would even offer to teach that spell to Celes and as tempting as that may have been, Celes was stubborn and always wanted to learn the spells herself. 

Maybe mention how her face is turned away, or how she seems quieter than usual. “After tomorrow’s ceremony, will you still be able to live here in the dormitories? With me?” 

The barracks. Nothing more than a small cold box of cold steel where rusty pipes leaked water. Truly an awful place to live, that Celes had become increasingly fond of, despite herself. If only for the company.. 

“Oh? Don’t tell me you’re still afraid of the dark?” Celes smirked, trying to tease and immediately regretting it as Terra quickly looked down distressed. Celes knew she struck a nerve and instantly turned to her friend. 

“I’m so sorry.” Celes quietly apologized on Terra's shoulder. She didn’t get a response, but Terra’s arms wrapped limply around her waist.

Celes pulled her head back to look at her trouble friend 

“Please, tell me what’s wrong.” 

Celes asked as she took a quick step back and hooked her finger under Terra’s chin. 

“I promise I won't make jokes.” she reassured her. Terra took in a deep breath 

“I-I’m afraid. Afraid that once you leave they’re going to have plans for me. Kef-” “Hey. No.” Celes reassured her. “I won’t let them do anything to you. Just because Kefka is a general doesn’t allow him to harm you. As much as I hate to admit it, the emperor finds you far more valuable unharmed.Once I become general tomorrow, I promise you I’ll keep you safe. No matter what. You’re so precious to me Terra and I’ll be damned if they try. The first thing I’ll do as a general is to request that I’ll be by your side.”

“You swear on it?” Terra asked softly.

“I swear.” 

As the promise faded out and replaced by the harsh cold winds of the north mountains. Her mind only focused on one thing, her mission, get the esper and kill anyone who resists.


	2. The Green Hair Soldier

The steam from the three magitek tanks hissed loudly into the frigid night air. The clanking sound of gears followed by the harsh **_PSSSSHHHH_ ** was a steady companion to the three soldiers as they maneuvered their tanks slowly and clumsily to the top of the hill. As the tanks continued to crawl ever closer to the top of the hill the men in uniform began to talk to one other 

“How much farther till we get there?” One of the men asked as his teeth chattered together. 

A response came from the man furthest ahead, who’s eyes peered over the cold horizon. “Hopefully not much longer, it’s only — QUIT CHATTERING YOUR TEETH, GET AHOLD OF YOURSELF BIGGS!” 

“S-sorry Captain Wedge s-s-sir,” Stuttered the aforementioned Biggs while his teeth continued to chatter. 

Wedge shook his head; he heard a soft gasp from the third soldier that trailed a little behind. Green and blonde hair framed violet eyes that looked onto a small mining village. 

“Here we are..” breathed out Biggs “Narsh.”

As they drew closer and closer to the town Biggs grew evermore curious about the young woman they were assigned to bring on this mission.

“Question Captain Wedge?” Biggs asked nervously.

 _A_ sigh _“_ Go on.”

“So, um who exactly is the girl? I heard the other men saying that she was a witch? What’s with that?”

“That witch is exactly why we’re even out here in the first place.” Wedge replied, his tone slathered in rancor. “I don’t know if you heard but _she_ was the one who fried 50 of our men in under 2 minutes.” Bigg’s eyes went wide, he remembered the murmurs in the barracks about the witch who massacred their troops. He looked back at the girl and shivered, only this time it wasn’t from the cold.

“H-holy shit, will we be safe?” he whispered. 

“Hehehe, we’ll be fine, general Kefka only wants us to do a quick recon mission on whether or not this magical esper...thing is even in this backwater village. We confirm, we leave.”

“Oh and speaking of Kefka, see that crown lookin’ thing on her head?” Wedge gestured casually with his thumb. For the first time, Biggs looked at the girl for longer than a few seconds, and noticed the thin circlet of polished bronze that wrapped around her head. “That crown was designed by Kefka himself, a slave crown as he calls it. That general may have a marble or two loose but you have to admit, keepin’ this witch under control is the best idea he’s had.” Biggs nodded in agreement, the wariness leaking from him just a little. 

The rest of the journey was spent in silence until the three reached the edge of the town.

The steam from the automations that powered the village’s light and heat enveloped the air in an eerie white fog that matched the heavy layers of snow covering the ground. 

As the three soldiers made their way through the silent streets, they soon heard the crunching sound of fast approaching footsteps. At first, it was only a couple of men. They were dressed drab grayish-brown tunics under varnished breastplates, shawls of the same thick, wooly material covering their mouths and ears. In their hands they each held a sickle and a shield with automatic rifles strapped to their backs. Narshian guards.

One shouted, “FOR NARSHE!” They aimed their automatic rifles at the three soldiers, ready to fire.  
There was hardly a pause before Wedge’s booming voice shouted back “Incoming! Prepare yourselves!” The magitek roared to life as the power within began to build up and burst out with a loud **_KABOOM_** _!_ The two guards were dealt with easily, only for more to take their place. The pride of the Narshians was strong as they stood their ground, shouting rallying cries to defend their homes and esper. But no matter how many guns, people, or dogs they had sent to fight, they were no match for the awesome power of magitek tanks. And as quickly as the fighting began, the only sounds to remain were the hissings of the canons and the crackling of fried corpses.

“Wa-was that all of them?” Biggs asked with a shaky voice. Wedge looked around to make sure the coast was clear, then looked down at one of the dead rebels.  
“Yeah, think that’s all of them,” He said casually. “Poor bastards, I almost pity them for their stupid defiance. Welp! now that they’re out of the way let’s go see if this was even worth the trip.” 

The three soldiers searched throughout the town for the esper they were assigned here for. Minutes turned to hours as they continued their search, Wedge knew there couldn’t be _that_ many hiding places to hide a supposed, “giant frozen magical lizard, you can’t miss it.” That was until he reached the edge of town to the main coal mine entrance. He gestured to Biggs and the girl to turn on their lights and follow him into the dark labyrinth of the mines. 

As they went deeper and deeper into the mine Wedge noticed that besides the vicious rats and the damp cold, they had come across no resistance from the rebels. Something wasn’t right. 

Before anyone could react, a giant whelk fell from the top of the mine shaft. It’s large purple shell was the size of the magitek armor and had protruding spikes all around it. It’s body excreted a translucent slime that trailed behind it as it moved.

“Seems the Narshians really don’t want us to get this esper if they’re using a whelk.” Wedge stated in annoyance. As they continued to charge their beams to kill the monster in one hit, the whelk unexpectedly hid it’s body inside the shell.

“What! Come out that shell you coward- oh forget it I’m just gonna make you come out then.” Biggs confidently said as his beams were fully charged. “You’re mine, you overgrown snail.” Wedge felt something was off, usually whelks of this size wouldn’t back off out of fear. They tended to be territorial beasts that if captured, would make a good guard, esper guard in this case. But how exactly would a creature like this fight back if they were gu- _IT’S SPIKES!_ Wedge immediately turned his armor to Biggs to stop him.

“NO! DON’T SHOOT THE SHELL!” As he pushed his armor into Biggs’s, the fire beam moved and blasted at the shell. Instead of burning through the shell, the spike around the shell glowed a red aura and without warning, shot a white beam of pure energy back at Biggs’s armor. It hit with such force that it caused Biggs’s armor to topple backwards. While the beam just missed Biggs’s body, he looked down to assess the damage and saw that the middle of his armor was burned. He slowly gulped, as he realized the mistake he made in pissing off the whelk.

As the whelk reappeared and distracted at shooting Biggs, Wedge took the opportunity to order the girl to finally kill the whelk.  
“Witch! Help me shoot at it! Full power!” the girl and Wedge without hesitation concentrated their beams at the body of the creature and fired. Ice shot out of the canons at full force shredding the poor creature to pieces, leaving nothing left but slime and grounded whelk meat. Biggs breathed out in relief, “We did it.” Wedge quickly turned in armor back in fury and marched it over to Biggs.

“YOU ABSOLUTE DUMBASS! Intimated Wedge tried to debate back, “B-But sir our mission-” “TO KILL. THE. WHELK! **_NOT US!_** THOSE SPIKES ARE MAGIC ABSORBENT, THEY TAKE ENERGY FROM ANY ATTACK AND SEND IT RIGHT BACK. I will also point out that you used THE FIRE CANNON IN A COAL MINE! NOT ONLY DID YOU NOT WAIT FOR AN ORDER, BUT YOU ALMOST BLEW US UP TOO!!!” Wedge puffed out a breath to try and calm himself. “Let’s just get this stupid esper and get home.” 

Briggs stared at the corpse in awe. “Is that..” 

“Yep, that’s our esper.” Wedge answered. Within ice was the ancient esper, a giant chimera beast with the body of a serpent, legs, talons, and wings of a phoenix, and the head of a dragon. It’s wing spanned 25 feet from one end of the cave wall to the other. It’s bright rainbow colored feathers stuck out against the black coals of the mine. It’s height towered the magitek tanks to the point it’s head curled into its neck.

The dark mine shaft began to glow in a blue light, but it wasn’t from the magitek lights. It was from the esper itself.

Suddenly, the girl violently clutched her head in pain. _“Huh what’s happenin-?”_ She mumbled to herself, only for another shockwave of pain to hit her. Biggs and Wedge watched petrified as she began to move closer and closer to the esper, reaching out as if getting closer eased her pain.

“H-hey what’s go-going on? Are you alr-?” Biggs was interrupted as the lights of their magitek armor began to flash rapidly. . The blue glow that covered the esper now covered Terra like an aura.

 **“Ok that’s it what’re you planning witch!?!”** Wedge furiously shouted as he sped his magitek towards hers, only for his to suddenly stop in it’s tracks. 

“Huh wa-what’s goin- **_AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!”_ **And with an intense bright light, Wedge and his magitek was gone. 

“WEDGE WHERE DID YOU GO!?! WHAT DID YOU D- **_AAAAHHHHHHHHH!_ ** ”. As Biggs screamed the glass light of the girl’s magitek exploded. **_Crack!_ **All of a sudden the only light that now remained was the light surrounding the esper and the girl. Curiously she took a step back to get a better view of the creature but without warning, the last thing the girl saw was an explosion that surrounded her vision. And then nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been a tough weekend to get this chapter out but I managed. I'm also once again thanking @Not_Sense and @Rumbledrei for editing and beta reading my story. This story wouldn't be possible without their help.  
> (Edit 1: this story will also contain will contain child abuse and bullying going forward so I will be adding the correct tags for those things. And if any of the aforementioned things above makes you uncomfortable to read, I completely understand if you don't continue reading this story.)

**Author's Note:**

> New Chapter (hopefully) every Sunday. You can find me on tumblr: @wiess-royal-schnee and a huge thank you to @Not_Sense and @Rumbledrei for beta reading and editing.


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